Hello and welcome to a February edition of Rounding Third. The heat has been well and truly on here in the north east of the state over the past four weeks. However with the heat, the busy committee at Rangers HQ have been working away feverishly behind the scenes to help improve the profile of the club and to make 2019 another extremely successful season. Now onto what has been going on. Line Drive went down to have a look last night and came away excited and encouraged by what is happening down at the ranch.
Junior Baseball back in full swing
Junior coaches Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool and Owen “The Gaffer” Godenzi were very encouraged with the turnout for the first night Rangers Juniors 2019. From what I hear around the grounds, nineteen in the 8-14 year old range turned up for baseball drills while another twelve in the 5-8 year olds for T-ball. It was great to hear that Ranger senior players, Tetsu Kamiyama, Shaun “Old School” O’Neil, Kelsey “Dropsie” Burder, were there to help out while Ranger legend Kevin Pool and Jamie Samuels ran the 5-8 year old with some parental help.
In week 2, the boys and girls were put through their paces with a variety of hitting fielding and running drills. The three way rotation worked amazing and the smiles on both the kids and their parents faces was fantastic to see first hand. The talk after training and online has been extremely positive in how the nights are run with many participants now telling others to come along and have a go. The club is encouraging all players and supporters to come down, have a look, help out, see what all the hype is and get on board with what could be an exciting future for our club. It will be on again over the next few Wednesday nights from 6pm at Targoora Park, Murdoch road Wangaratta.
Juniors look to return to the diamonds of the North East.
The North Eastern Baseball Association are looking to run an under 14’s competition this coming winter season. The competition is proposed to be run on senior match days during term 2 of the school year which is from 28th of April till the 7th of July from 12:15pm-1:45pm. The Wangaratta Rangers are looking for any players interested aged 8-14 years old to be part of the new era of junior baseball in the north east. Spread the word and come along. In the mean time come along Wednesday nights to Targoora Park from 6pm. More information to follow.
Cod Season update
The Cod season is well and truly upon all those who pull on the mighty teal and black of Cods Baseball. There has been a lot of back room talk about who is going to pull of the boots to go to Ballarat for the 2019 edition of Victorian Masters Baseball Championships. In the last edition of Rounding Third, it was noted that Cam “The Soak” Scott will not be making this years trip but since then a couple of other Ranger regulars have become unavailable too. One of the most prominent absentees will be perennial Golden pufferfish runner up and key Cod 45 player Rob ‘Beaker” Barbour. Fellow Cod Cam “Showtime” Rogers has declared the race extremely open this year with Beakers absence. Who is going to eat the extremely hot butter chicken this year Cam? Another front runner for the award was Shaun “Old School” O’Neil; who has also pulled the pin on his chance to take home the award. Could this give Rob “Butts” Seymour a free run at a second title?
With the absence of some key cods in the 35+ category has seen an opportunity for some new Cods to earn their teal and black colours. New Cods this year sees Matt Shennan from Porepunkah, Aaron Holloway and Jono Rogers from Ringwood join the muddy bottom of the river environment that the Cods thrive in. Fellow Ranger Ross “Rossco” Johnson gets his Cod on this year for the first time. Welcome to the Cods men. Line Drive looks forward to hearing from his spies on the ground. Maybe “Cuts in the Cage” may be around to run their eye over the weekend as well
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Butts on a bike
Speaking of Butts, it was good to see man about the northeast Rob “Butts” Seymour has joined the growing list of Ranger bikies! There have been a few posts popping up on social media of Butts enjoying his weekends on his new machine. It looks to be a very nice piece of machinery, and we all know Butts likes the best of the best.
Frosty Congratulations
It was great to see over the summer that two of the coolest Rangers out there, got married in sunny beautiful Bali. A huge congratulation to Travis “Iceman” Frost and his wonderful bride Caz on their nuptials in front of their nearest and dearest. From all of us at Rangerland, Congratulations!
Muster night and training.
Muster night is fast approaching and the Wangaratta Rangers are on the lookout for new players. If you are interested in playing head down to Targoora Park on Wednesday 27th of February from 6pm onwards. All are welcome.
Hello and welcome to the summer edition Rounding Third. It feels like it has been an eternity since we last had a chat. However the time is right to let you know what has been going on around the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball/Softball Club. The season is long past in the memory and a new committee has taken over the reins. Well not brand new. Just a few people have been shuffled around into new portfolios. The Ranger Ramble was another highlight and well there has been a plethora of birthdays. But we will get to all of that later. Hope you enjoy the read.
Pool is the new President.
Local rubber-arm and world traveller Nathan “FOMO” Pool has taken over the top job at Wangaratta Rangers Baseball/Softball Club. Now regular readers know about Nathan’s credentials to be the top dog. 300 games, son of club legend Kevin Pool, a regular at Vic Winter carnivals for North East and regular attendee for CODS masters. Former president Tony “Spinner” Smith has moved over to become the treasurer. All other positions remained the same. A big thank you to Spinner and his work in the past four years as president and to Scott “Daddy Mack” Jenkins who now moves back into general committee from treasurer. Already the club are looking forward to season 2019. The next meeting will be this Friday the 11th of January from 7pm at the clubrooms. All are welcome.
30 is the new forty or is 40 the new 30?
This year down at the club there has been a plethora of milestone birthdays. This year has seen Nathan Pool, Cam Scott and Mick “The Skipper” Wyatt all celebrate the big 40, while Scott “Big Daddy” Jenkins, Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore have celebrated 30. Over the past couple of months, the club has welcomed a couple more with Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder and offsider Sam “Goggles” Grigg joining the 30 brigade. Welcome to your respective clubs gentlemen.
Ranger Ramble VII run and won.
In 2018 The Rangers end of season trip was another roaring success. The theme was western, and what a theme it was. From gunslinger Scott Jenkins, to Brad Undies Murdoch and Woody, Sam Grigg as Jesse, Jamies Samuels and Rob Seymour as Indians, Cam Scott and Lauren Dinsdale as bar staff, Nathan Pool and Daniel Griffin riding inflatable horses, it seemed everyone had a pair. We not everyone. Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder thought outside the square and came as a Western Bulldog footballer. Pretty inventive the writer thought. Anyhow the trip was to Phillip island and it was a great trip down. Once at San Remo and having the stretch of the legs the crew were met by a Ranger from afar Daniel “Hank Scorpio” McCullough who had flown in from Canada the night before. One thing is for sure Daniel “The Griff” Griffin is a great trip planner and this year did not disappoint. Who won best dressed you ask? Word has it Cam “The Soak” Scott took home the chocolates a source down on the trip tells me. Hope all who ventured down had a wonderful time.
Cod Season
Yes yes I have been very quiet since the end of the past winter season but now as the weather is warm our attention turns to the 2019 Victorian Masters Baseball Carnival. Once again hosted by those wonderful folks in Ballarat from 15th to 17th of March. Once again the Cods are looking for players for their 35 plus and their 45 plus line ups. There will be a couple of changes this year and one notable absentee will be Line Drive’s close friend Cam “The Soak” Scott. Due to a clash of dates he will not be making the trip. Fear not he will be still soaking it up! However Line Drive’s travelling fans may make another appearance. One knows for sure the Esmond Street boys like a trip to Ballarat for the weekend. Sorry Kelsey you will not see Line Drive and The Soak in the one place once again. For more information on Cods Masters Baseball and if you are interested on donning the Cods uniform check out https://www.facebook.com/Codsmastersbaseball for all your Cods needs.
Wangaratta Rangers juniors
T-ball has been an exceptional success leading into the Christmas break with on average 30 kids having a crack at t-ball and now into junior baseball. Coaches Nathan Pool, Owen “The Gaffer” Godenzi are impressed with how the kids have taken to the game we all love. Looking at the posts online there has been many positive reviews of how the club is going about the development of baseball in Wangaratta. In the past week a new site has been set up for Junior baseball information. https://www.facebook.com/wangarattarangersjuniorbaseball/ is the link and there will be more content added to the site as we move towards the commencement of t-ball and junior baseball in late January early February. If you are interested in playing please email the club wangarattarangers@hotmail.com. We hope to see you soon down at Targoora Park.
Pickle Ball what is it?
Now here is something that is completely different to the usual baseball news. Wangaratta’s favourite Canadian import Bryan “Moose” Wilson has been hard at it getting another game he loves off the ground in Wangaratta. The name of the game is pickle ball. The sport combines elements of tennis, badminton and table tennis. It can be played using wooden or composite paddles in singles or doubles configuration. It is played on a court similar to the size of a badminton court and from all reports is a lot of fun. For those who are interested in having a hit for something different check out https://www.facebook.com/Wangaratta-Pickleball-494957764332723/
It’s been a while
I know a few of you out there has been wondering what had happened to Line Drive. He has a quiet few months on the information front. It was another good year for the club where many plans turned into achievements and there are many more good things in the pipeline in 2019. Come to think of it, he just suffered from the curse that was writers block and a little self doubt over whether or not do people like reading about what’s going on in North Eastern Baseball. That has now passed and is now looking forward to getting back into what is going on around the traps. Hope all out there has had a wonderful Christmas and new year period and looking forward to an enjoyable 2019.
Now for the club stuff
Committee meeting Friday 11th January from 7pm all are welcome
Junior baseball to fire back up late January Early February. more information to follow
Cods Masters March 15th to 17th if interested let the Codsters know via their page
Hello and welcome to the mid winters edition of Rounding Third. Over the past few weeks Line Drive has had his winters hiatus. He returned this week to find out what the folk down at Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club have been up to the on and off the diamond. Since the last edition, Rangers Black and Orange have had mixed fortunes. Rangers Black dropped their first game of the year being blanked 10-0 by a very good Bears Green outfit. Since then they have ground out two wins over Benalla Bandits 18-8 and the past weekend defeating bears Gold 15-1. The latter result does not show how tight this game was until the Rangers offences, lead by Tetsu Kamiyama woke out of a Sunday morning slumber to break the game open late in the 5th inning.
Rangers Orange have had three pretty good weeks. First of all they got the win over Bears Gold and then held on to defeat Porepunkah Panthers 9-8. However they came crashing back to Earth on Sunday going down 25-0 against Bears Green. With scores like that there are always highlights, so keep reading to find out who made the highlight reel this week. Next week rangers play host at Targoora Park on Saturday to Wodonga Warriors. So get down come have a look at some North Eastern Baseball if you are in the area.
Now onto what is going around the place at The Ranch
Lucky ticket this Saturday. Do you have one yet?
This coming weekend sees the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball/Softball Club’s annual Lucky Ticket night. Hearing from those who have gone in past years, it has always been a cracking night and this year will be no exception. Once again all the regulars will be there but unfortunately, one thing will be missing. The hosts with best tweed sports coats in the North East Scott “Big Daddy” Jenkins and Cam “The Soak” Scott. With those being absent, look for the golden tonsils of Kyle “Gillypop” Gilmore and the one who never misses out, Nathan “Fomo” Pool to step into the breach. Tickets are still available from the club at $25 a piece. Roast beef rolls on the menu. The starts at 6pm at Targoora Park Murdoch Road Wangaratta. Drop the club a line or ask a club member if you want a ticket.
Slamming Sammy steps up.
it was a pretty tough going for the Rangers Orange boys and girls in the first few innings of Sunday’s game. Bears pitcher Tom Simmons was on a roll. He was striking out batters at will and those who made contact hit it straight to the Bears Green defense. Three and two thirds innings down not one Rangers Orange player had reached base. Enter number nine hitter Jamie “Slamming Sammy” Samuels who nonchalantly walked up to the plate and stepped into the batters box. Simmons delivered a high fast ball. Slamming Sammy said, “I like the look of that” and swung at the first pitch. Crack! The ball went flat over the head of the second baseman giving centre field no chance of getting to it. Jamie trotted up the line for the first hit of the game for Rangers Orange.The bench erupted with cheers as the perfect game was gone. One thing is for sure that when the next hitter got to the plate there was some serious heat coming their way. The poor batter was young Damien “Damo” French. Let’s just say the next three pitches were fired out at a fair velocity. Still you cannot take the hit away from Slamming Sammy Samuels!
Did I just get the first hit of the game? Thanks to Brendon French for the image
Dropsy at it again
. Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder had an interesting game on Sunday. He spent a fair bit of the time on the ground as catcher and once he went to the outfield, he made anything that was routine, not look so routine. His best effort came late in the seventh inning where a simple fly ball buckled him at the knees and he took the catch almost lying down. One thing for sure his quick wit was still there by firing off one liners in reply to his catching ability. Still, when you look at the score book it says Fly out to 9 (Right Field)
The Rookie
Oh what are we to call Owen “O” Godenzi? The past weekend the men and women of Rangers Black worked it out. You see the new shirts arrived this weekend and Godenzi has been playing out of the foreign number of 31. However as soon as he slipped on the orange and Back of number 51, O was transformed into the “The Rookie”. The Rookie took to the hill and threw a very good game of baseball. He went seven innings scattering four hits while striking out five batters. The big swing returned too with The Rookie hitting the ball hard and far into the outfield. Maybe, just maybe, this is the nickname for you number 51?
Azza in the name of glove
Aaron Parker flashed the leather on multiple occasions up at Springdale Heights. First a ripping slips catch followed by some fancy glove work and multiple chances to throw runners out. At one point every time the ball went in the air many players and opposition players just called out “Azza it’s yours”. Way to let your glove do the talking at short stop Azza.
Azza just showing the glove. Thanks to Brendon French for the image
Jenko vs O’Neil
Scotty Jenkins was his acerbic best as he was throwing plenty of verbal jibes at Shaun “Old School” O’Neil’s ability to play outfield. From memory of the game on Sunday I think Old School played pretty well taking all chances in the field and getting a couple of hits as well. What did Jenko do one wonders? Have a look on Game Changer and you might find out.
Two games to go before finals.
Yes only two games before finals. The club is calling on you all out there to make the effort come out to training on Thursday nights. This week the Good Doctors are cooking. If you want a good feed come out Thursday night from 6pm. You will not be disappointed.
The trip destination has been revealed.
This years Rangers end of season trip has a distinctive island theme. Beaches, sand and good times. There may be some go-karting for known rev head Rob “Butts” Seymour. Last Thursday Daniel “The Griff” Griffin revealed that the Rangers are off to Phillip Island! Yes it will be a distinctive party like atmosphere for the road trip down to the penguin parade and the wildlife parks of Cowes. Now what is this years theme? That is yet to be decided. Will all of the big six return for a seventh trip? Start saving those pennies boys and girls as Ranger Ramble VII will be a ripper.
The Spaniard is living the dream
Everyone’s Favorite Spaniard Angus “Gus” Young is currently making his way around the globe. From what Line Drive understands (via Gus’s Instagram, he is sampling the good life in Croatia. That Croatian football shirt he had on certainly did suit him and looks to be settling into life as the international traveller. Keep having a good time number 21.
Anyone seen Beaker?
Yes Rob “Beaker” Barbour has disappeared again. Nathan “Fomo” Pool inquired about his whereabouts the other night at training. So it might be time to shake the tree again and maybe Beaker might fall out of it. Maybe he will appear this Saturday for the Lucky ticket night in Wangaratta? Any sightings of Beaker please let us know below is a picture of him.
Where is Beaker????
Now to club stuff
Fees are due. They are cheap. $50 to be direct debited to the club. Message Scotty Jenkins for how to do this
Lucky ticket 6pm Saturday night Targoora park. Tickets are $25 and available from club members
Games are Saturday vs Wodonga at home. Please place on Team app if you are unavailable this weekend
North Eastern Baseball Association Presentation night Friday August 10th North Albury Sports Club. Please let Spinner know by Friday if you wish to attend.
Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. Week 9 of the North Eastern Baseball Association was played across the diamonds of the North East of Victoria. This past weekend saw the Rangers ladies and gentlemen head up the Hume to Wodonga, to take on the Wodonga Warriors. Rangers Orange opened the day against Wodonga Warriors White. Rangers jumped out of the blocks, took the lead and never looked troubled by white running out 17-3 winners. In the late game, Rangers Black exploded in the first innings piling on the runs to take a 11-0 lead after the top of the first. Wodonga then knuckled down and played good baseball to slowly claw their way back into the contest. However the damage was already inflicted and the end result saw a 15-3 victory to Rangers Black. Once again the diamond in Wodonga was in tip top condition and the canteen excellent. A huge thank you once again goes to the Ranger supporters who travel week in and week out in all sorts of weather to support the boys and girls. It is greatly appreciated by all the players. Now onto what has been going on down at Ranger Land. I would not be doing it justice if I do not say that plenty has been happening on and off the diamond. So let’s get into it.
Frenchies plays catch.
While watching and scoring the first game on Sunday it was noted that French was throwing to French. Brendon “Frenchy” French was the pitcher while Damien “Damo” French was the catcher. Frenchy as usual threw a good game while Damo did not put a foot wrong behind the plate. In many other cases of father son pitcher catcher combinations is generally the other way around. One thing for sure is that this may not be the last time this year the French combination is used in Orange. Now how many other instances has this happened over the years of Baseball in Wangaratta? Might be a question to be put to the living legend Kevin Pool. Good stuff team French.
Junior capers.
In between games at Wodonga over the weekend, the Wangaratta Rangers and Wodonga Warriors invited juniors of all ages to come down have a hit and a run around at Gayview park. It was extremely pleasing to see that there were over twenty kids running around having a hit of baseball out on the ground. Now this may not sound like a big deal but one thing the clubs are looking to push are the juniors. There a few members down at The Ranch thinking about how the club can introduce new players, young and old, to baseball across the North Eastern Baseball Association clubs. If you are reading this and know of anyone who may be interested in coming down for a hit, a catch, and a throw, they are more than welcome to come along. Or if you are just interested in what it is all about come have a look too! Spread the good word about baseball.
Pool puts the Rangers through their paces
With numbers returning to the track after a couple of weeks off and some poor weather, Coach and media darling Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool decided to split the players into their Orange and Black squads respectively. So half would hit in the cage while the other half had a run around on the diamond. When it came to rangers Black, the boys started out just a little rusty. This frustrated the coach no end and the boys paid by having to do old fashioned push ups. It had been a while since many of the boys had done that many push ups. About half way through the muscle memory returned and the throwing and plays improved remarkably. To finish it off there was a follow the ball activity from Owen “O” Godenzi and this really got the steam coming out form under the caps of Rangers Black. Look back now after the weekend maybe the hard hit out was just what the boys needed as they were flawless in the field and took an 11-0 lead after one inning. One thing is for sure, if you put the work in on the track it helps on game day. Training is from 6pm on Thursdays at Targoora park.
Thursday night tea.
Last week saw the return of the Thursday night dinner. The schnitzels, mash and gravy served up by The Dinsdale family was sensational. Not to mention there was dessert too. It definitely drew the punters in after training. At one point there was very little noise around the room, as all were tucking in to a great dinner. Thank you very much for that. This week the man who knows his cuts of meat Aaron “Azza” Parker looks to be the chef in control. Last week could be a hard act to follow Azza!
Who’s been seen in what caps?
There was a bit of discussion around about a couple of ranger players seen in an opposition players cap. Now we are not going to name names as they know who they are, but just be aware the custodian of the tin is not impressed. So look for a fair old fashioned penalty coming the way of the said individuals. That’s all I am going to say on that.
Soak makes it to 100
It has only taken 11 years but a big well done has to go to Line Drive’s good friend Cam “The Soak” Scott, who played his 100th game for Wangaratta over the weekend. It did come to the Soak as a bit of a surprise and he had no idea what his wife Lauren “Mrs Soak” Scott, was up to on Saturday arvo. The Soak thought it was nice that Mrs Soak was telling him to go out to footy or down the street. So finally after some persuasion The Soak headed out. Even on Sunday before baseball in Wodonga he had no idea of what was going on. In the final pep talk, Coach Pool let Cam know it was his hundreth game and he turned around to a banner that was made for him. “Congratulations the Soak on your hundredth game. You have a social life of an 18 year old so that’s why it has taken so long for you to reach the milestone” commented Coach Pool. Lucky for his supporters who came over from Yarrawonga for the game, Cam had a good day out on the diamond. One thing for sure is that he is very humbled and appreciative of the kind wishes sent his way this week.
Thanks Mr Soak
Soak 100
O’Neil update
This week Shaun “Old School” O’Neil batted ninth and played nine in the field. For those who do not know that position, it is right field. He was up to his old school shenanigans out there by finally being able to call Ross “Smoko” Johnson across to catch a fly ball which was clearly in right field. The pitcher did remark at one stage to a first baseman “Gee Old School is moving well out there”. Wonder what story Old School will bring to the table next week.
Round ten baseball in Wanagratta.
This coming round of baseball will be an absolute cracker. In the early game at Targoora Park rangers Orange take on Bears Gold followed by the top of the table clash between Rangers Black and Bears Green. The first meeting for the year saw Rangers Black sneak over the line with a hard fought victory. Look for Bears green to bring their A game to topple Rangers Black and put themselves back at the top of the ladder. Rangers Black will scrap and fight right to the very end on Sunday afternoon. If you are in the area come down and have a look. Full canteen and bar will be in operation. First pitch in the late game is 2:15pm.
Very happy Ranger news
The Ranger family has grown by one. Man of the beard and all round good guy Scott “Grumpy” Jenkins is now a dad! Jenko and his lovely partner Jodie have welcomed into the world on Sunday a little girl by the name of Poppy Carol Jenkins. Mum and bub are doing well. From all of us at Wangaratta Rangers Congratulations to Jodie and Scott. I think the boys and girls of the Ranger faithful will catch up with you soon for a soda water or two to celebrate.
Think I will finish on that very splendid news!
Now to the club stuff
Training this Thursday from 6pm. Azza has kindly volunteered to cook for the crew this week. Thanks Azza. If interested answer to the poll on the Rangers Facebook page
This weeks games are at home in Wangaratta. If you are unavailable please place it on team app. As said before, the more information the better and more accurate we can put teams out each week
New playing caps available See Butts for one
Lucky tickets available. Ask the club member for one for the 21st of July. Games to be played on the Saturday before the draw.
Fees due- get the banking details from Jenko to pay your fees.
Want a Dad joke? Go see king of Dad jokes, Jason “Sunscreeen” Jonker for one. He is happy to help you out. (Jenko it’s time to take note)
Rangers vs NASC Bears this Sunday. Canteen and bar in operation. Help out Griff by doing a shift in the canteen
Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. Baseball has returned to the diamonds of the North Eastern Baseball Association after the Queens Birthday. The men and women headed down the Hume to Benalla over the past weekend to play Benalla and Porepunkah respectively. In the early game Rangers Orange jumped out to an early lead against the hosts Benalla Bandits. The game was played hard and played fair with Benalla eventually coming out on top. The final score was 12-9 Bandits way. The weather slowly improved over the course of the day and by the late game, the weather was quite pleasant. In a topsy turvy tussle where Porepunkah were on top early, the Rangers fought back, then to see Porepunkah draw level. Finally Rangers Black got the job done in a very workman like manner. The end result was Rangers Black 12 defeating Porepunkah Panthers 10. Once again thank you very much to Benalla Bandits hospitality. To our loyal supporters who came along to watch the game in rather cool conditions. We do appreciate your support. Now onto what has been happening down at the Ranch.
Rangers Represent
The State winter championships were run and won over the long weekend down in Geelong. The North East team once again acquitted themselves well against the other winter associations. The boys fought hard all weekend and went unbeaten in the division two final against Sunraysia. After Sunraysia got out to an early lead the North East boys went to work whittling down the lead. A late innings fightback narrowed the margin but unfortunately they ran out of time and Sunraysia were the winners on the day. From all accounts it was another cracking weekend of baseball in Geelong. To the Ranger guys Nathan Pool, Aaron Parker, Ross Johnson, Rob Seymour and Tetsuya Kamiyama, support crew and families who went away, great job and till next time.
Season part two is here.
Part two of the 2018 North Eastern Baseball Association began over the past weekend across the diamonds of Albury and Benalla respectively. It sees the Wangaratta Rangers working hard and playing some good baseball. It was mentioned by hitting guru and man of baseball shoes, Tetsuya Kamiyama that there is only six weeks of the season left. That theoretically means only six Thursday nights too. So come along put your hand up to cook a meal and get involved. Only six weeks (not including finals) left! Training is from 6pm Thursday nights Targoora Park. All are welcome
They do talk a lot don’t they
Old heads having a yarn
Rangers Black vs Porepunkah. For some reason image is squashed!
How did he get there?
Lucky Ticket? You have yours yet?
Yes it is that time of year again. Seems to sneak up on everyone involved down at The Ranch. The 2018 Lucky ticket is here. Party guru Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder has got the tickets and is asking you out there, the Ranger fan, to get your ticket as soon as possible as they generally sell out in quick time. Lucky Ticket night this year is on Saturday 21st of July beginning at 6pm. Tickets are $25 and are available from club members. If you wish to purchase one let Kelsey know.
Rangers cap addiction
Rob “Butts” Seymour is always thinking of how to make the Rangers stand out on the diamond. He is the man who came up with the great looking Rangers warm up shirts and has been dabbling in finding the right cap just to make the Ranger uniform “pop” a bit more. A few weeks back while having a chat around the Thursday night dinner table, Butts noticed Cam “The Soak” Scott’s cap he purchased from a club back home in Melbourne. He noticed the style of cap was different and it had a three dimensional graphic. This got Butts thinking. Last week our new caps arrived. This time the ‘W’ on the front is raised and the cap has a more rounded peak. This does not mean a lot to those non-cap aficionados, but to those in the know, it is another evolution in Rangers merchandise. Now available on Thursday nights from Buttsy. Next in line possible shell jackets?
O’Neil is being Old School
Line Drive is beginning to think that Rangers Black second baseman Shaun “Old School” O’Neil is looking for ways to get his name in Rounding Third each edition. This week sees O’Neil making the routine not so routine. Double play ball hit O’Neil tries to tag runner, misses and gets the out at first and runner does not advance! Yes that’s right the runner on first base did not advance. Though to Old Schools credit he did try to fool the umpire by tagging the runner at first with the opposite hand. Still a play that many have never actually seen before. What will happen in the Bermuda Triangle at second base for Wangaratta Rangers Black next week versus Wodonga? Stay tuned to next weeks edition of Rounding Third.
Easy Street Boys are at it again.
Each week the Easy street boys seem to devise new ways to entertain themselves and their friends. The stories you hear from this crew of mates are just outstanding. The latest involving the Nintendo game Super Mario Kart among other things, is just amazing. The writer cannot explain it but one thing is, the game sounded pretty fun. If you want to know just ask their leader Kelsey “Dropsy” Burder and his second in command Kyle “Gilly” Gilmore. Enjoy your half yuletide festivities gentlemen.
Rugby League State of Origin Sunday
Now this is not related to baseball but to the club we have but man of the radio Nathan “FOMO” Pool was speaking to Rangers Baseball major sponsor over the past week and the conversation quickly turned to the Rugby League State of Origin. Mark from Cafe Martini and Bulls Head Hotel in Wangaratta would like all of you out there to know that Game 2 of the State of Origin will be shown live in the bar at Cafe Martini from 7pm. If you have nothing to do Sunday night head in for a feed and watch the game in the warm surroundings to the Bulls Head Hotel.
Fines are stacking up
Yes the dreaded tin was out in force over the past round and the Ranger men and women are paying their dues where they need to. It was noted that when a coin is dropped into the tin, it does not make a sound. Looks like there is a lot of notes in that tin already and the season is just over half way. Rossco “pen hater” Johnson did not pay his over the weekend as he gave a very valid reason for not wearing a Rangers hoodie. I think the phrase “If I could buy one then I would” A good enough reason not to pay the money isn’t it tin master Kyle “Gilly” Gilmore? On another note is Daniel “The Griff” Griffin going to let the group where they are going on Ranger Ramble VII? A date has been set. October 19-21.
Junior news
This weekend between the Ranger vs Warriors games in Wodonga, Wangaratta rangers warmly invites all junior players to come have a hit and throw in Wodonga. If you are curious what baseball is all about come along and have a look on Sunday. For more information drop the club a line wangarattarangers@hotmail.com
Now to the club stuff
Training this Thursday from 6pm. Keira has kindly volunteered to cook for the crew this week. Thanks Keira.
Committee meeting follows training from 7:30pm All are welcome.
This weeks games are in Wodonga. If you are unavailable please place it on team app. As said before, the more information the better and more accurate we can put teams out each week
New playing caps available See Butts for one
Lucky tickets available. Ask the club member for one for the 21st of July. Games to be played on the Saturday before the draw.
Happy birthday Sean “The Doc” Warfe. Closer to Cods age yet Doc?
It’s been a bit of a delay this week. Line Drive has been suffering from writers block. Hope you got your fix of news about North Eastern Baseball. Yes we are still here! Please share it aoround and spread the good word about Wangaratta Baseball.
Hello and welcome to the first true winter edition of Rounding Third. Over the past couple of weeks the Rangers teams squared off, with Rangers Black getting the chocolates and bragging rights over their Rangers Orange counterparts. It was a competitive game watched on by a healthy crowd at the annual Ranger family day. The game gave the opportunity for many players to try playinh a different position and have a good hit out against their fellow Rangers brothers and sisters. A big shout needs to go out to “The Pres” Tony “Spinner” Smith who worked tirelessly all day to put on a great show for all the Wangaratta families and supporters. It has been said before, but it needs saying again, clubs are only as good as the people who run them. We are fortunate and very privileged to have the likes of Spinner involved in the club. Now onto other news form the past couple of weeks. Who has been up to what, and other club business.
Listen to Rossco Old School
In the Orange versus Black game, Shaun “Old School” O’Neil had one of those days that you like to forget. Early on in the game, a fly ball was hit straight up in the air. Nine times out of ten or ninety nine times out of a hundred old school would be a safe bet. However this was the one occasion. Much to the surprise pitcher Jason “Sunscreen” Jonker, the ball spilled out of Old Schools new pristine glove. “Old School” said it was Pooly’s fault and blamed the bird that flew past the sun in the sky, and it being on a Sunday, for missing the catch. Later on in the innings another ball was it up in O’Neil’s direction. Number one pen hater from Porepunkah, Ross “Rossco” Johsnon bellowed, “SHAUN!!!!!!”, making it evidently clear that he needed to catch the next one. Luckily for Shauns wits he did. At the end of the first inning O’Neil’s fielding was all square. Remembering a quote from a previous edition, a poor tradesman blames his tools, Old School.
Jenko’s gets a little shirty.
it was a rather shaky start to the first derby game of the year for the black team. Resident first baseman and man about town, and the state, Cam “The Soak” Scott notified the coaches that it would be best to give up the position to multi sport athlete and coming first baseman, Scott “The Beard” Jenkins. As the game began, Jenko trotted out to right field where Cam was also headed. He was surprised and a little bit dark that he was now playing first base. “No one told me” retorted Jenkins. “Stuff it I will use this glove” was another comment. Fair to say like the aforementioned Shaun O’Neil, the first innings was not all plain sailing. He was still mumbling about it once he came off the diamond. Must be something about playing first base and getting grumpy at Wangaratta!
Raining hits for Gilmore
Current master of the tin Kyle “Can hit more” Gilmore had a day out against the Rangers Black pitchers. Everything he saw was dispatched with ease to all parts of the outfield throughout the game. The only thing stopped him from having a perfect day out with the maple was fellow Esmondian, Kelsey “Dropsie” Burder who certainly did not live up to that nickname with the catch he took to rob Gilly of a perfect day. Slide in, dive forward, take the catch and stick the landing is how you can describe Burders take. Still a great hitting display from one of the Ranger favorites.
New man on the bump
Over the past few weeks, man of facial hair Brad “Undies” Murdoch, has become a bit of an innings eater for the Rangers Orange guys and girls. It is great to see the big spindly frame of a man get up there and throw strikes. This was first the case in Rangers vs Warriors game a few weeks back and he repeated the efforts in the local derby. It helps when another gets on the hill and gives our wonderful throwers a well deserved rest. Look out for his wicked fast ball! Word is he is developing a second pitch. Wonder if he will call his new pitch the anteater?
Where are we going Griff?
The season is already half gone. Many around Ranger land are now turning their attention to the end of season trip Ranger Ramble VII will be upon us in October. This year was suppose to be a far trip but it has been altered slightly to a mystery trip. At this moment only Daniel “The Griff” Griffin knows where the Ranger faithful are headed. Many think Nathan “FOMO” Pool has guessed the place, but even he is not so sure of where that is. More to the point what will the theme be? After seeing the social media posts of the Esmond street boys and girls, could double denim be the theme? More details will be released soon about the mystery destination.
The big 6
Talk around the dinner table last week always seems to go back to the trip. It was remarked that there are only six Rangers that have been on all six trips. Now they know who they are, but can anyone else outside the inner sanctum of dinner last Thursday night name them? In all honesty there is no surprise who the six are. But will they all make it to Ranger Ramble VII?
Round robin round 2018
The North Eastern Baseball Association had a ‘Cent a Number’ draw and round robin day over the past weekend. Players from all clubs in the association came together to play in mixed teams and have a good fun day of baseball. Judging by the images taken by Daniel Blanchard on the North Eastern Baseball Association Facebook page, it was a cracking day. Others I have spoken to enjoyed the day and welcomed the efforts of all involved in the association. It was a good day for the Ranger family as Jenko took second place and The Pools took 3rd place.
Winter Championships are here
the 2018 Victorian Winter Baseball Championships are here again and the North Eastern Baseball Association have once again put a very competitive side together for their annual pilgrimage to Geelong. Managed once again by Ed Simmons, the North Eastern men are looking to go back to back. This year it looks like it will be a very even division with both Latrobe Valley and Sunraysia putting together strong squads. Don’t count out Dandenong U/23 either. The boys have one game Saturday and two on the Sunday, with the final games on Monday deciding on who takes the shield home in 2018. To all players and supporters who are heading down to Geelong this year, good luck keep warm and most importantly have a good time playing baseball. Line Drive wants to hear about it all when you come back.
Season part 2
The 2018 North Eastern baseball Association returns after the June long weekend. Both Rangers squads are looking forward to a good second half. Coach Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo and Mick “Skip” Wyatt were impressed with how their chargers, Rangers Orange played in the first seven games. Likewise man of may nicknames and hats Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool with his Rangers Black squad. Aaron “Azza” Parker is looking forward to a big second half as are stalwarts Brendon “Frenchy” French and Brenton “Plugger” Miller. Damien “Junior” French is looking to build on his good start with the bat too. One thing isfor sure, there will be plenty of fun on and off the diamond in the coming ten weeks. Just remember, if you are unavailable please place it on teamapp so the coaches know in advance. As said before the more information the better.
Now onto the club stuff
Silver Circle 21st July Tickets available soon
Vic Winter Championships June 9-11 Geelong. Good luck to all who are going
Seasons recommences Sunday 17th June. Draw up on website this week sometime
New caps from Butts are available see his if you want one
Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. The skies were grey over the diamonds of the North Eastern Baseball Association during the weekend, but that did not stop the men and women of the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club from heading back up the Hume to Wodonga for the weekend’s round of matches. In the early game, Rangers Black overcame Wodonga Warriors White 28-2. In the late game, Rangers Orange pushed Warriors Maroon right to the end. The final score was 12-5. Once again thank you to the hospitality of Wodonga Warriors and to all our travelling supporters who made the trip. Next week, Rangers Orange will be playing Rangers Black in Wangaratta. More about that later. Now onto what has caught the eye of Line Drive over the past couple of weeks.
Who was that on the screen?
It may have not been mentioned in a previous edition, but it has not gone unnoticed. The good Doc’s Sean and Sarah Warfe have been living the good life in Canada over the past few weeks. The Warfes were lucky enough to be in attendance to watch the Seattle Mariners no hit the Toronto Blue Jays. Not only was being there awesome but then they were pictured on the jumbo screen of the stadium and the television broadcast. To complete the occasion they got a game ball and a hat signed. Nice work Doc’s. One question to be asked is to the master of the tin, Kyle Gilmore. If you are on television in the states then is that a larger donation to the tin due to exchange rates?
Where is Beaker?
The question has to be asked. Where is Rob “Beaker” Barbour? Last sighted four weeks ago. Now we all know he is alive but his reasons for not being available are very blunt. The past two weeks have been very simple “No good”. Well we hope this week you are felling a bit better Beaker. Hope to see you down at he Ranch this coming Sunday.
North Eastern Rep Baseball time
It’s back for another year and five Rangers players are heading to Geelong over the long weekend to test themselves against the other Victorian Winter Baseball associations. Last year the boys from Kelly country took out the division 2 title, and are looking to go back to back this year. Once again there has been a fantastic response from those in the competition who have put their hand up and wish to represent the North Eastern Baseball Association. I am lead to believe that it will be a full list of players. The Winter Championships will be held over the Queens birthday long weekend in Geelong. More information in upcoming editions of Rounding Third.
Boof visits the Ranger Ranch
Man of the DBA radio show Rob “Boofa” Bowen made an appearance at Wangaratta a couple of weeks ago. It was a bit of a mission for him to find the ground at first. After organising with Cam ‘The Soak” Scott to meet him at the ground in Murdoch road, Boof got close to the ground and called Cam. Cam assured him the ground was not too far away and keep heading out the road and if you see Ranger man (and now Ranger kid) you are there. Cam arrives at the ground to find no one arrived yet. Another phone call. Boof had driven out 8kms to the new roundabout at Oxley. Finally after a little more two way communication Boof found the ground. He had got tired of the food where he was staying and wanted to come find some baseball people. Lucky for him a good crew turned up in poor conditions for Azza’s Burgers and a good chat. It was great to catch up and talk about all the great things and projects we have in the pipeline for Wangaratta Rangers and North Eastern Baseball. thanks for the visit Boof. Thanks for the kind words on the baseball forum too.
Rangers Family fun day.
This coming Sunday Rangers Orange play host to Rangers Black in a shootout at Targoora Park. However that is not the only action going on down at The Ranch. It is going to be the annual Wangaratta Rangers Family Day and the club welcomes all players, sponsors and supporters. The flyer below explains what is on offer and your hosts The Wangaratta Rangers hope to see you all there. The game begins at 1:45pm. Rangers Orange will be looking to get some revenge on Rangers Black. As always it will be a competitive game played in great spirit. Spread the word. The more spoken about Wangaratta Baseball, the better.
Cent a number returns.
The good folk who run The North Eastern baseball Association currently have a little cent a number raffle going on. The premise is simple. Take an envelope, open the envelope, whatever the ticket number that’s how much you pay. An example is if you draw ticket 650 then the cost of the ticket is $6.50. Simple? The cent a number draw is going to be held down at Targoora Park Wangaratta on Sunday 3rd of June. Discounted drinks and food will be provided. If you want a ticket please get in contact with anyone who plays in the North Eastern Baseball Association. All clubs have tickets to sell. Your involvement in the association is appreciated.
Round Robin 3rd of June
In case you have noticed on the Facebook site on Sunday 3rd of June in conjunction with the cent a number draw the North Eastern Baseball Association will be holding a round robin day. Players from all clubs are encouraged and warmly invited to make themselves available where shortened games of baseball with mixed teams will take to the diamonds of Targoora Park. Each club is looking for numbers and I know at Wangaratta, there has been a call out for players who are available. So if you are available please support the association and their efforts. if you are interested in coming down for a look and buy a ticket in the cent a number raffle then that would be great too.
Thursday night feeds
As mentioned before the Thursday night feeds have been impressive. However things are heading towards the depths of winter and the meals are slowing down. For those who travel to train and play, the Thursday night feed is fantastic, as at times, one who travels may not arrive home till after 9:30pm. This week will dinner be snags and bread. It doesn’t matter what you cook, it is all about getting together having a chat and laugh together after training. If you just do one for the year then that is one less someone else chooses to do. If you do choose to provide a meal the club will reimburse you for your efforts.
Merchandise update
Yes it’s all about the merch down at Targoora Park. Beanies are still available from Scott “Thirtysomething” Jenkins and new caps have been order by “Boston” Rob Seymour. Boston thinks he has found the holy grail of caps and when they arrive they will look great. If you wish to order other items please talk to radio personality Nathan Pool about warm up tops, numbered playing tops and just for a good chat really. A big thank you to our sponsors for their support of the club. Check out wangarattabaseball.com for more details about our sponsors or download Teamapp and search for Wangaratta Rangers.
Now to the club stuff
Rangers Family day this Sunday from 1pm all are welcome Targoora Park.
If you are unavailable to play, please use Teamapp to say you are unavailable. If you do not say anything, then the coaches assume you are ready to play. More communication means the better for all.
Round Robin day Sunday 3rd of June in conjunction with cent a number draw.
Victorian Winter Baseball Championships June long weekend in Geelong.
Training Thursday night 6pm All welcome.
A bit of a different one this week. Sometimes you need to plug all the good things that clubs do and all the good folk who love to play baseball in the north east of the state.
Hello and welcome to this edition of Rounding Third. As mentioned in past editions, the North Eastern Baseball Association 2018 season is well underway with the guys and girls who make up Wangaratta’s only baseball club have a very successful start to the winter season. Four rounds have been completed and the Rangers Black men and women sit on top of the ladder with four wins from four games. After a close first week loss, Rangers Orange got back on track nicely recording three wins in row after defeating Porepunkah in a hard fought game on Sunday. The end score was 9-4. In the late game Rangers Black ran out comfortable winners over Benalla 28-1. A big thank you to all of the support week in week out, those who travel with the club all over the North East to support the Rangers. It is greatly appreciated. Now what else has been happening since the last edition? Line Drive will do his best to bring you all up to speed.
Four games in and the Rangers are firing.
As mentioned above the Wangaratta Rangers boys and girls have got off to a cracking start. This is very evident in the case of Rangers Orange. After a rather indifferent year with the bat last year, there has been a noticeable shift in hitting this season. The bats have come alive and all players are contributing. Throughout the line up, on and off the bench, all players are contributing nicely. Coaches Mick “The Skipper” Wyatt and Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo are leading very well and the players are responding. It was pleasing to see the mustached one, Brad “undies” Murdoch chasing down everything hit in his direction out in centre field. His long stride gets to fly balls that many of us may not reach!
Rangers Black has had a shifting order over the start of the season due to availability, but they have also started the season in solid fashion. Media darling Nathan “FOMO” Pool is working his chargers hard, challenging each player to work hard at training on Thursday night. This was definitely the case last week, when Aaron “Azza” Parker’s hard work paid off in the game against Bears Green by having a three hit game. Keep getting along to training from 6pm Thursday night ladies and gentlemen. Hard work pays off.
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Nathan Pool- The Voice of Wangaratta Baseball
For years the club has had a good relationship with the local media outlets throughout Wangaratta, but for some reason this year it has gone to a new level. Generally you hear the results on the radio maybe on a Wednesday or a Thursday and some other times maybe a snippet about what is going on down at the club. Each week, Coach and man of many hats, talents and never misses out on anything Nathan “FOMO” Pool, is a regular contributor on the radio each week. Many have remarked to Line Drive throughout the North East, that they have heard baseball on the radio in the morning. For this writer, this is most pleasing, as it gives us a presence in the North East along with the other clubs of the association. Mind you Pool does like to mention one player an awful lot in those radio snippets. Isn’t that right O?
Pesky pens
There were mutterings around at Porepunkah over the weekend about a pen being destroyed on the ground. Now this sounds strange to speak about, but it got the tongues wagging on who got upset with this pen. It started when Ross “Rossco” Johnson was quite upset with himself for doing something wrong while batting, that he decided to try and pick the pen up and throw it off the ground. However he failed miserably at his attempt. So incensed with this, he took to smashing the pen to bits with the end of the bat. New fines master Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore remarked that we could have a new leader in a certain “anger” award this early on in season 2018. One wants to know what did the pen do to deserve this tragic end Rossco?
Junior Baseball Week 1 2018
It was pleasing to see over the weekend how Benalla, Porepunkah and Wangaratta pooled their resources to have some junior baseball happening between games. It was great to see that two little mini games were played and the turnout from the three clubs was encouraging. Some have come for another hit from last year while there were a few new faces as well. The North Eastern Baseball Association and it’s clubs are looking to keep pursuing this between games during the 2018 season. If you wish to know more contact your local club and they will point you in the right direction.
The tin custodian
After a couple of years Daniel “The Griff” Griffin has relinquished the reins of the tin. Many wondered who was going to take over this prestigious role within the Wangaratta Rangers Baseball Club. This year, Kyle “Thrillmore” Gilmore has taken up the role of master of the tin. Already he has left his mark on the role. As usual there are the fines for strikeouts, errors, incorrect uniform and photos in the local newspaper, Gilmore has added a new twist. The twist is, if any of your Rangers apparel with the club logo on it touches the ground then a fine shall be paid. It does not discriminate, anything with the logo is payable. Already, a couple of weeks into the new regime and many have learnt real fast to respect their Ranger merchandise a little bit more. Though some other choices of apparel have drawn fines too haven’t they Old School?
The old phantom play
Late in the second game many of the Ranger spectators were wondering what the heck was going on with what should have been a straight forward out to first base. Rob “Butts” Seymour decided to take it upon himself with the help of Tetsu “Iron Chef’ Kamiyama to spice up a straight forward position 6 to 3. Ball is hit to Butts at shortstop where most would throw to first base. He decided to flick it towards Tetsu who at second base was a bit shocked by receiving the ball and had to then make a quick throw over to Owen “O” Godenzi at first for the out. Now for scoring sake that should go in the book as a put out 6-4-3, giving another statistic to Tetsu. Think you may pay a fine for that one too Butts.
Dinner Thursday? Rangers have got you sorted.
Thursday night dinner has been a roaring success so far in season 2018. From Spinner’s spiced mince and potato, to last week at short notice, Tetsu’s Burgers, many have been taking the opportunity after training to sit around have some dinner and have a laugh. This week Aaron “The Butcher” Parker is cooking his amazing steak sandwich. If you wish to come for a look or partake in a great meal please comment on the poll on the Rangers Facebook page.
Now onto the club stuff
Fees are now due. See Scott “Straight Outta My Twenties” Jenkins for more details on how to pay (Happy 30th Jenko)
New playing tops are being ordered. Please see Pooly if you wish to get a top with your name and desired number on it
Rangers are playing at Springdale Heights this coming week. Let the club know of your availability via teamapp
Training Thursday 6pm. Followed by tea
New playing caps on order will arrive soon
Rangers Family day May 27th check out flyer on Facebook page.
Rep baseball returns over the June long weekend. Let the club know if you are interested in attending
Want away socks? Interested? Talk to The Soak for more details
Round robin and cent a number function Sunday 3rd of June Targoora Park
That’s about it this week. It had been a couple of weeks. Thanks for reading and
Hello and welcome to this weeks edition of Rounding Third. With the Cods having sunk back to the depths of the rivers of the Ovens Valley, attention has now turned to North Eastern Baseball Association. The 2018 winter season began last Sunday with all four games being played in Wangaratta. It was a good chance for the two Rangers teams to get off to a good start in the new season. In the early game, Rangers Orange tackled Benalla. Rangers Orange jumped out to an early lead and held this advantage for much of the game. As the game progressed, the Benalla bats got going taking the win 11-9. Much to like about the Orange performance. A bit more work on the track and things will be right. In the afternoon game, good hitting backed up good pitching with Rangers Black jumping out to an early lead 14-5 win. Next week will see both Ranger squads heading up the Hume freeway to take on Wodonga Warriors. Good luck to all for round two. Now it has been a while since we have spoken about the characters down at the ranch so lets find out what they have been up to.
Mr 300
One that almost slipped through the crack, but thanks to a couple of watchful eye in the club, a certain milestone did not go unnoticed. Nathan “Rubberarm” Pool played his 300th game for Wangaratta Rangers on the weekend against Porepunkah. Pool becomes the third Ranger to play 300 games behind Tetsu Kamiyama and Brendon French. The Wangaratta Chronicle came calling early in the week and judging by the number of well wishes and spectators at the game on Sunday, it shows that Pool is highly regarded not just in baseball but throughout Wangaratta and beyond. Pool did say at the end “It’s my 300th, It’s not like I am leaving or anything”. Congratulations Rubberarm. Here’s to not missing out on anything more.
Back hurt. No problem. Will hit home runs.
Hitting guru and former Iron Chef, Tetsu Kamiyama began the 2018 season in fine style. Before the game Tets was saying his back was a bit sore and stiff and was not one hundred per cent. In his first at bat his back did not seem to bother him. He got a good piece of the ball and let the wind do the rest to hit his first home run in a few seasons. Many thought the wind definitely helped it get out, as it got up into the gulf stream and the over the fence. However his next at bat was a no doubter. With “Mr 300” Nathan Pool on deck and two runners on base, Tetsu’s swing was crisp and made that lovely ‘tock’ noise of wood and the ball screamed over the left centre field fence for his second home run in two at bats. Pool’s reaction to the second home run was priceless. While squatting he muttered some words that cannot be repeated in the column. Fair enough too. It is always a good sign when the hitting coach sets the tone for the day. Home runs are a good feeling though. Well done Tetsu.
New Kicks and tricks but still Old School
After plenty of ribbing about his old glove and other equipment, Sean “Old School” O’Neil has finally given in and bought some new baseball gear. First to go in the bin were the footy boots. “That makes it official. No more footy for me” remarked Sean. Next was a new glove. More padding and ready to use. Unfortunately due to Rubberam pools stellar pitching his glove was not required to catch a ball. Never mind Old School. Always next week.
Thursday night training a roaring success
As mentioned on the Facebook page by a good friend of Line Drive, a great turnout of players rolled their arms over and dynamically stretched their way through the night. It was by far the biggest turnout for the season so far, with over twenty five players and supporters in attendance. Now that may not sound like many but of that twenty five, many came for Thursday night dinner cooked by Cam “The Soak” Scott. Herb chicken and rice was dished up with your choice of drink from the fridge for $10. Seconds and thirds were had by all. This week looks like it might be a barbecue. The club is always looking to you out there to flex your culinary skills and dish up Thursday night meal for everyone. Those who travel do appreciate it. If you want to have a go at cooking for the men and women of Rangers drop us a line and I am sure nobody will be unhappy if you do.
Turn your car off Soak
Cam “The Soak” Scott had a lot going through his mind on Thursday. As mentioned above, dinner was his priority for the Ranger guys and girls. So much so that in all his haste to get out and get organised left his car ignition on for the duration of training and dinner. Soak got a nice surprise when his battery was flat and wondering how he would get back to Yarrawonga. Lucky for him Steve “Fernando” Peruzzo and Mr 300 had not left. Mr 300 made a call to Rob “Butts” Seymour who like a superhero swept in, started the car up and swept out again into the Wangaratta night. So if you live out of town remember to turn your car off…..Soak.
The Doc, Sarah and Rossco are back!
With the start of a new season, it is always great to see some new and old faces. This year has seen the return of the “SW’s”, Sean “The Doc” Warfe and his wife Sarah Warfe. The Warfes spent the past year away in Bendigo and have returned to Wangaratta. Sarah had her first game over the weekend against Porepunkah and was able to get on base in her first at bat. The Doc was his usual colorful best in the field, turning some very neat plays at third base. Another to return was Ross “Rossco” Johnson. Rossco was sure he was going to come off the bench just to ease himself back into playing. However due to a late change he was thrown behind the plate at catcher. He looked like he had never been away. The glove was working and his gadget legs were up to the task of stretching a single into a double. All day Rossco hit the ball hard and his work behind the dish was immaculate. Welcome back to Wangaratta Baseball Club. There are a couple of others to mention too but can’t put everything into the one edition can we? More to come on those characters over the next few weeks.
Footwear for training? Who needs it? Not Beaker!
It was noticed on Thursday night that an older player, who has been known to wear a bike helmet at times, was out in the field running around in some interesting footwear. Rob “Beaker” Barbour had wandered into training in his usual manner and many thought he was just down for a look being in thongs and all. This was not the case. He dispensed of the thongs and just went in bare feet on the new infield turf. Brave from a man who has the uncanny ability of getting hit anywhere on and off the diamond by a baseball.
Canteen a huge success
Special mention needs to go out to new man of canteen and man of many hats Daniel “The Griff” Griffin for his running of the Rangers canteen over the weekend. From all reports the club sold out of most things and the roast beef rolls were a huge hit. Big thanks to his minions, those Esmond Street men who got in and gave him a hand too. Many hands make light work. Next home game is a few weeks away so get out on the diamond next week Griff.
The Tin returns
Don’t forget out there that the tin is back in operation in season 2018. So if you make an error then make sure you pay your dues to the tin. It is a bit of fun, and light hearted banter is what we all want. There will be a couple of dollars owing from the weekend just gone, so the tin will be present on Thursday night. Those who choose to go on the end of season ramble do get a benefit from the tin.
Now for the club stuff
Committee meeting this Thursday 19 April after training. All are welcome to attend.
Greetings and welcome to this weeks Rounding Third. The Cods have been away in Ballarat over the weekend enjoying the hospitality and playing some baseball too. Both teams once again battled hard and played every game in great spirit. On Friday, Cods 45 plus made their debut and were very competitive over their games. They were able to record one win over Bendigo on Saturday. The Cod 35’s too, had an up and down carnival. After toughing out an extra innings win on Friday, Saturday was a different story. In tough weather conditions for all teams, Tassie beat Cods and then in a hitters battle Redsox prevailed. On Sunday Cods got the win over Rebels. For more information in regards to all of the games results check out http://www.vicmasters.baseball.com.au
Jonker getting in thee zone vs Bendigo courtesy Cam Rogers
45 plus men after win vs Bendigo thanks to Cam Rogers
Now into the important stuff. Who did what, and who won what, for Cods Masters Baseball in 2018.
Cods and car rides and Thursday nights
One part of living that everyone living in the North East of Victoria is familiar with, is the drive down the Hume. Coming from areas such as Wodonga, Porepunkah, Mt Beauty and Wangaratta, the drive down needs to be varied and entertaining. Judging by what I have heard was going on, it certainly was. Early on, Rob “Seagull” Seymour was in fine form entertaining the car just being Rob, and coach Kelsey Burder living up to his nickname of “Dropsy.” Meanwhile in other cars perennial entertainers Mick “EFTPOS” Wyatt Tetsu Kamiyama and Rob “Beaker” Barbour just had a wall of a time in readiness for Thursday night.
Cods get togethers are very exciting times and this was the case once again in 2018. So exciting that the men were told for being a bit over exuberant before heading inside for dinner. Over the course of the night stories were told. New Cods introduced and some new Cod supporters recruited. The boys were ready for Friday.
Scavengers and missing cards.
Friday had arrived and it was an early start for all. Some were more awake than others. Mick “EFTPOS” Wyatt was scratching his head about the night before wondering where his meal had gone the night before. Other Cods were able to shed light on the missing meal. The Seagull was up to his old tricks by stealing Micks meal. However this was not his only act of scavendry over the next few nights
He was seen taking chips and other parts of mealss throughout the weekend. One Cod in his votes for “pufferfish” said in his reason that Seymour”did not pay for a meal the entire weekend” Seagull Seymour was brave taking a meal off the biggest guy in the team. However it is better eating it than letting it go to waste. Is that mine mine mine?
Traveling Rogers
Godfather of Cods baseball James Rogers missed the meeting Friday night. He had driven down for the two games Friday but had to return to Wangaratta Friday night for a prior engagement. However he was back Saturday, had a lazy three hits and was out into the wee hours of the morning with the Punkah boys. Sunday again solid. More hits. All round great performance for Cods from the Godfather.
The OC has a day to forget.
Good friend of Line Drives Cam “The OC or Original Cam” Scott had a Saturday on the field that he would choose not to replicate. After getting the call to go to left field against the old old enemy Tasmania, Scott was ready and the first ball that was hit his was was by the one oand only Chris “Chalky” Chalker. Let’s say this Routine fly ball comes to mind. So here is the play description. runners on first and second none out. Ash “Steel Panther” Meyers throws Chalky hits ball routine pop up. Runners tag up Scott wobbles in, gets to the ball. Scott puts two hands on the glove and proceeds to drop it. Scott gasps. Cods gasp rather audinly. Scott looks down picks up ball and throws runner out at third. Still “The OC” Could not find a place to hide. What was more noteable about the gasps and laughter was that there was a howling gale and the noise pierced the wind the play was that bad. It got a little better for Scott as the game wore on. He managed to catch the next two and then in the late game “guessed” and took a fly ball with the win against Red sox. Lucky he had plenty of change from the night before because he deserved very gold coin donation that came his way later that night. Nevermind OC. Can only get better can it?
Tassie beat Cods 35+
“Yeah Let’s see what you write about us now” was the line Chris Chalker said at the end of the game and yes Tassie have beaten the Cods. In blustery conditions that the Cods could not handle, the Tassie boys came away with a convincing 6-3 win. Tassie were on from the start and really wanted to get one over the Cods boys and in all honesty were never trouble by the misfiring Cods hitters. To be fair good things have got to come to an end and now Tassie are on the score board. Next year the Cods will look for revenge and try and restore some order of balance to the baseball universe. Once again it is always a pleasure to play a good nature game against a bunch of really good blokes. Till we meet again Tassie.
Feeling the heat against Tassie. Was too much heat for the men of the 35 plus Cod Squad
0 fa who went 0 fa? Anyone?
As mentioned before these carnivals are a great meeting point for catching up with former teammates. Sunday is always a fun day because it comes down to the question. Who has not yet got a hit for the weekend? In one teams case it was some one who you would not even think it could be possible. Sloths 35s Trevor Johansen. Let’s setup the last at bat. Bottom of innings Tassie up. Time finished. Umpire chief calling for game to be over. Sloths convince umps for one more at bat to see if Trev can get a hit. Sloths banter is top notch. Trev has three of the biggest cuts ( and one foul) you will ever see to strike out and end 0 fa for the weekend. Sloths started shopping Trev out for a trade to another team. But no takers. You certainly are a good sport Trev.
O’Neil debuts
Rookie Cod and overall mouth piece Shaun ‘old school’ O’Neil debut his skills with is $10 Regent kids glove over the weekend Heath ” Heater” Anders noted that you don’t even see them in old Porepunkah kits that glove is that old. The boys even thought of chipping in a dollar each for a new one. That means 25 cods $25 for a new glove. O’Neil was undeterred by that. But was commented on if had a slightly bigger glove he would have caught it. Still he did look comfortable with the glove out in centre field in the howling gale Sunday. New position this year Old School?
Sledge of the weekend
Best sledge or bit of banter for 2018 for Cods has to go to Ash “Steel Panther” Meyers to Cam “Fumbles” Rogers. While watching the 45s playing Sloths Meyers made the observation about Tetsu Kamiyama at shortstop while pitching ” gee it would be nice to have a shortstop i could trust”. Rogers had little to say right there and then. However there was not much else to say really.
Puffer fish award
AS you may have already seen on Facebook and the Cods Masters Baseball a new winner of the prestigious Cods Puffer fish award. Now the rules of voting are pretty simple. Votes are 3,2,1 at the end of the four games and for each vote there must be a reason for the votes. If there was no reason then the votes would simply not count. There were many varied reasons and some were rather amusing. One Cod gave Mick “EFTPOS” Wyatt votes in relation to his Thursday night spending spree. However there were some who did not put reasons leading to a little bit of skewing of results. This did help the final overall result. The winner was Rob “The Seagull” Seymour. His reasons for winning were varied. For legging out an inside-the-park home run to stealing Mick Wyatt’s meal. In all, the seagull put in a complete all round performance for the weekend. Congratulations Seagull you thoroughly deserve the award.
Rookie Cods make their mark
A new Cod but a true stalwart of the game in Shepparton, Cam “The Hammer” Stewart had not swung a bat or caught a game in four years. After missing Friday’s game due to a prior commitments Stewart came back with a bang Saturday by putting in another polished performance behind the plate and was very good in the batters box. Another Rookie Cod Paul “Base Coach” Meddings had six hits for the weekend. A great effort. However his base coaching needs a little bit of work. Isn’t that right Paulie? Another Rookie Cod who some Tassie players did question his age was Shane “Babyface” Cantelmi, who finally got off the mark with a hit in his final at bat on Sunday of the tournament. All have said they will be back next year. Hope you all enjoyed your weekend men.
New digs and fines cash what’s it for?
For those who all put their hard earned money into the Cod cause via the great court that Mark “Scooter” Farrow was in charge of. It may be towards new caps or even stirrup socks or new Cods socks for 2019. The Cods are looking for sponsors far and wide and welcome anyone who wants to get involved with the Cods. A big thanks to the Lake Inn Motel for their excellent accommodation, and for Rob and his team in the City Oval hotel for their hospitality over the three nights. I am pretty sure we have booked in again for 2019. Finally to Nathan “FOMO” Pool who organised accommodation and was instrumental in the news shirts for this year.
Line Drive meets KC
It was mentioned on Friday that someone was asking for who is Line Drive. On Saturday Line Drive introduced himself to the master of everything media in baseball Kingsley Collins. For one it was great to talk about the reason why i have writing this for the past four years and the other reason the stories of the people who make up grass roots baseball throughout all regions of Australia are just too good not to be documented and be available for all to read. People say to me they just like seeing their name and what does Line Drive has to say about it. I was humbled and very grateful for the kinds words KC and one thing for sure that get in have a go tell some stories and you never know what it might end up as.
A further thank you
A big shout out needs to go out to the Ballarat baseball community for putting on another wonderful weekend of baseball. The grounds were immaculate and the hospitality second to none. A great job done by the team of umpires lead by Greg Howard. Great work. A big thanks to all the sides who entered again in 2018. It is always great to see everyone enjoying the hospitality, laughs and playing baseball in Ballarat. Finally to Kingsley Collins who has again done a power of work to put on another wonderful carnival. Always be grateful for the hard working volunteers of all clubs and associations who let us enjoy the game of baseball.
Cods 2018 were
35 plus
Nathan Pool, Mick Wyatt, Steve Peruzzo, Shane Cantelmi, Shaun O’Neil, Cameron Scott, Cameron Rogers, Mark Farrow, Ashley Meyers, Paul Meddings, Heath Anders, Damon Barker, Cameron Stewart coach Kelsey Burder
45 plus
Tony Smith, Rob Seymour, Tim Seymour, Rob Barbour, Shane Tatterson, Tetsuya Kamiyama, Jason Jonker, James Rogers, Rian Banks, Brendon French, Travis Frost Coach Rob Barbour
Always feel like you forget someone.
Anyhow enough from me. Back to Rangers stuff next week. Well maybe some more Cods stuff too!
TalesofLineDrive 